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Goozex thread: free game no longer avaliable, also: European network starting up

Goozex is a trading service where there is one currency "points", and one trade good: games. You get points when you send out games, you can spend these points on games. (There's a one dollar fee when you recieve a game, called a "trade credit", but the first hit is free). You can also buy points if you need a few extra: 100 points cost five dollars.

They used to give away a free 100 points (which was enough to get a cheap game) to every new sign-up, but they stopped doing that on February 14th. It's still a very useful service and I strongly encourage anyone to sign up anyway if you want to turn games you don't play into games you haven't played yet without getting ripped off by GameStop.

Also, if you use someone's referral link, they get 100 free points and a free trade credit whenever you finish your first trade. This explains everyone's signature: I put my referral link in my sig (or rather, I did back when they were giving free games away), and so do lots of other people. Use any of them, not just mine (although, y'know, some people can use mine, I'm just saying). Just don't do it without using a referral link; this is the closest thing to letting someone else get free money.

Oh, and they started up a European network at goozex.eu. I don't think the system allows trades between users in Europe and users in America, which is good, I guess, what with high shipping costs, region locking, etc.

Dos and don'ts if you decide to use the service:

Do ship through USPS First Class mail: it should cost around $2 per game you send.
Do use delivery confirmation so the recipient can't lie about not getting your game. You can use the paypal shipping thingamabob to get delivery confirmation even cheaper, but you need to know the exact weight of your package to do so, so you might still be better off going to the post office.
Do give feedback promptly after getting your game.
Do e-mail feedback@goozex.com if someone tries to scam you; they're very responsive on this.

Don't use the folded piece of paper they call the Goozex Mailer; your game will break in the mail and you will recieve negative feedback.
Don't ever accept a trade cancellation, under any circumstances, if you already put the game in the mail.
Don't make more than one account with the same address; they'll catch you and ban you.
Don't worry if you don't get positive feedback right away: if the reciever never gives out feedback it will automatically become positive feedback after 21 days.
Don't, and this should be obvious, give positive feedback before you recieve and test the game.

I wonder if buying popular games at a discount from Gamefly and trading them could be a good way to rack up points...

Depends on the Gamefly price, the Goozex price, and the speed that you'll be able to trade them away. It could work under limited circumstances, and I know I turned a profit on Neo Geo Battle Coliseum that one time. Just remember that you can't list more than one copy of the same game at a time.

I wonder if buying popular games at a discount from Gamefly and trading them could be a good way to rack up points...

Depends on the Gamefly price, the Goozex price, and the speed that you'll be able to trade them away. It could work under limited circumstances, and I know I turned a profit on Neo Geo Battle Coliseum that one time. Just remember that you can't list more than one copy of the same game at a time.

Right, right. I was thinking primarily about MK: Wii. Since I could get it at about 38 dollars from GF, and it's worth 1000 points on Goozex (with 1000 being roughly 50 bucks according to the point-buying thingy) I might make a net profit of 20 dollars worth of points.

I wonder if buying popular games at a discount from Gamefly and trading them could be a good way to rack up points...

Depends on the Gamefly price, the Goozex price, and the speed that you'll be able to trade them away. It could work under limited circumstances, and I know I turned a profit on Neo Geo Battle Coliseum that one time. Just remember that you can't list more than one copy of the same game at a time.

Right, right. I was thinking primarily about MK: Wii. Since I could get it at about 38 dollars from GF, and it's worth 1000 points on Goozex (with 1000 being roughly 50 bucks according to the point-buying thingy) I might make a net profit of 20 dollars worth of points.

Sure, just check how many people are offering the game vs. how many are requesting it, because if it takes too long to get rid of, the Goozex price might go down before you trade it away.

I confirmed a game right after it was supposed to be sent months ago. Any way to complain about not getting it or am I screwed?

why did you do that? I should add that to the OP.

I had extra points waiting after I confirmed I had received it. I didn't lose any money or anything so I don't care that much, but I would like the game.

PM the user and ask what's up, but you might be screwed, since it was months ago. If it was just around the three-week mark I'd say to e-mail feedback@goozex.com, but it might be late for that. Then again, I guess that's worth a shot too.

God I feel like an idiot I sent out a game today and realized it went to the wrong apartment #.

I PM'd the dude and told him it was coming to apartment #6 instead of #612, called USPS but they said there's nothing they can do to change it once it is en route.

Hopefully he can talk to his neighbor or postman or apartment manager or something to get it straightened out before it gets there.

sometimes (not all the time, but sometimes) the postal carrier will go by the name rather than the apartment number, if the mailboxes are labled by name and right next to eachother.

but this is a bit of a long shot.

Also, be really, REALLY careful the guy doesn't actively try to fuck you. Think about it... He knows that the game is going to another apartment... He could get the game, and easily say that the post office didn't drop it off at his house. And leave negative feedback.

Sure it's unlikely he'll do this, but keep an eye out.

urahonky on July 2008

Click HERE for a Stylish add-on that removes the Agrees/Awesomes/etc on posts on Penny-Arcade.

Seriously though this service is great. I haven't bought a game since I joined. Latest game I got through Goozex is Call of Duty 4! I just put up a bunch of old PC games up there too...I wonder who's going to want my copy of Z or Star Wars: Dark Forces?

I wonder if buying popular games at a discount from Gamefly and trading them could be a good way to rack up points...

Depends on the Gamefly price, the Goozex price, and the speed that you'll be able to trade them away. It could work under limited circumstances, and I know I turned a profit on Neo Geo Battle Coliseum that one time. Just remember that you can't list more than one copy of the same game at a time.

Right, right. I was thinking primarily about MK: Wii. Since I could get it at about 38 dollars from GF, and it's worth 1000 points on Goozex (with 1000 being roughly 50 bucks according to the point-buying thingy) I might make a net profit of 20 dollars worth of points.

That could work. There are 1 ready buyers for game+manual, and 11 for disc only. I dunno if GF gives you the Wii Wheel with it, if they did you could do full package.

God I feel like an idiot I sent out a game today and realized it went to the wrong apartment #.

I PM'd the dude and told him it was coming to apartment #6 instead of #612, called USPS but they said there's nothing they can do to change it once it is en route.

Hopefully he can talk to his neighbor or postman or apartment manager or something to get it straightened out before it gets there.

sometimes (not all the time, but sometimes) the postal carrier will go by the name rather than the apartment number, if the mailboxes are labled by name and right next to eachother.

but this is a bit of a long shot.

Also, be really, REALLY careful the guy doesn't actively try to fuck you. Think about it... He knows that the game is going to another apartment... He could get the game, and easily say that the post office didn't drop it off at his house. And leave negative feedback.

Sure it's unlikely he'll do this, but keep an eye out.

oooooooo didn't think about that.

Well I'm holding faith that me doing the right thing won't come back to bite me in the ass and that the Goozex community as a whole is pretty decent. I've had good experiences so far.

God I feel like an idiot I sent out a game today and realized it went to the wrong apartment #.

I PM'd the dude and told him it was coming to apartment #6 instead of #612, called USPS but they said there's nothing they can do to change it once it is en route.

Hopefully he can talk to his neighbor or postman or apartment manager or something to get it straightened out before it gets there.

sometimes (not all the time, but sometimes) the postal carrier will go by the name rather than the apartment number, if the mailboxes are labled by name and right next to eachother.

but this is a bit of a long shot.

Also, be really, REALLY careful the guy doesn't actively try to fuck you. Think about it... He knows that the game is going to another apartment... He could get the game, and easily say that the post office didn't drop it off at his house. And leave negative feedback.

Sure it's unlikely he'll do this, but keep an eye out.

oooooooo didn't think about that.

Well I'm holding faith that me doing the right thing won't come back to bite me in the ass and that the Goozex community as a whole is pretty decent. I've had good experiences so far.

Does he have a lot of feedback? You can usually tell the good long-term community with a lot of send/received.

I had a guy mark a game as received right after I confirmed a trade. I assume he did it so he didn't miss a trade right after. I could have kept the game and he couldn't have done anything about it but I'm not that much of a dick.

I had a guy mark a game as received right after I confirmed a trade. I assume he did it so he didn't miss a trade right after. I could have kept the game and he couldn't have done anything about it but I'm not that much of a dick.

Well Goozex probably would have looked into that, considering the time frame of confirmed and received. They seem like pretty nice and reasonable guys who will bend the system as needed for common sense stuff. Like the guy who PMd saying he wanted to cancel, then left negative feedback a few minutes later stating it was never received. He got banned.

I am a horrible person right now. I've had Brain Age 2 for like 4 days now and I still haven't played it and left feedback yet. Not to mention my wife misplaced it yesterday. It's in a 3-game case (fortunately it's the only game in the case) somewhere in my house. I hope to find it tonight. My one year old probably ran off with it.

That kid is funny, she'll run off with the TV remote and hide it (I still haven't figured out where she puts this stuff), and then a few days later she'll bring it out to you when she wants to watch Baby Einstein or something.

Hopefully that link comes out alright- but they're basically the bubble mailers that I've been using. I paid something around $6 for 12 or something- they've got similar deals on the site. Makes it so each to push the game into the package along with your Goozex "hey, here's your game" paper. Doesn't really work with any PC games that I want to send though.

Does anyone have suggestions for sending PC games? I'd hate to destroy the box just so it could fit into the stupid bubble mailer.

Hopefully that link comes out alright- but they're basically the bubble mailers that I've been using. I paid something around $6 for 12 or something- they've got similar deals on the site. Makes it so each to push the game into the package along with your Goozex "hey, here's your game" paper. Doesn't really work with any PC games that I want to send though.

Does anyone have suggestions for sending PC games? I'd hate to destroy the box just so it could fit into the stupid bubble mailer.

Can't you flatten the box up to fit in the bubble mailer. Means they'd have to tape it, but it's better than nothing.

urahonky on July 2008

Click HERE for a Stylish add-on that removes the Agrees/Awesomes/etc on posts on Penny-Arcade.

Do a lot of PC games ask for full package? I've been able to get rid of a lot of mine for disc only. Though a lot of newer games have those huge DVD boxes. Probably need the next size up on mailers. Size #1?

Oh, and I've found the WalMart 5 pack is cheaper than Staples for mailers. eBay has mass amounts for the cheapest, but I never planned on sending out 30 games. I definitely don't have 100 games to send.

God I feel like an idiot I sent out a game today and realized it went to the wrong apartment #.

I PM'd the dude and told him it was coming to apartment #6 instead of #612, called USPS but they said there's nothing they can do to change it once it is en route.

Hopefully he can talk to his neighbor or postman or apartment manager or something to get it straightened out before it gets there.

sometimes (not all the time, but sometimes) the postal carrier will go by the name rather than the apartment number, if the mailboxes are labled by name and right next to eachother.

but this is a bit of a long shot.

Also, be really, REALLY careful the guy doesn't actively try to fuck you. Think about it... He knows that the game is going to another apartment... He could get the game, and easily say that the post office didn't drop it off at his house. And leave negative feedback.

Sure it's unlikely he'll do this, but keep an eye out.

oooooooo didn't think about that.

Well I'm holding faith that me doing the right thing won't come back to bite me in the ass and that the Goozex community as a whole is pretty decent. I've had good experiences so far.

Does he have a lot of feedback? You can usually tell the good long-term community with a lot of send/received.

Yeah has a lot of good feedback and like 60 trades so I think he'll be cool.

I just got rid of GTAIV today, yay! Hope I don't get ripped off. Wanting to get SCIV when it comes out but it's probably a bad idea to try that with Goozex. Also, what is this Referral thing that people are talking about?

Might want to add the paypal shipping link to the OP https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now&info.
Has cheap delivery confirmation, plus its just convenient. I have no idea how to navigate to this page from my paypal account so I always found the link on the goozex forums when I needed to ship something

One time, I had a friend over to play a bit of Red Alert on my LAN. During the game he said he needed to go to the bathroom, so we paused it. After about 10 minutes of wondering where the hell he went, I get up and go to check on him.

Hopefully that link comes out alright- but they're basically the bubble mailers that I've been using. I paid something around $6 for 12 or something- they've got similar deals on the site. Makes it so each to push the game into the package along with your Goozex "hey, here's your game" paper. Doesn't really work with any PC games that I want to send though.

Does anyone have suggestions for sending PC games? I'd hate to destroy the box just so it could fit into the stupid bubble mailer.

I use the #0 mailers too. Luckily, the day after I signed up for Goozex and went to the Office Depot by my office, they were having a clearance sale on bubble mailers, so I got 40 of them for about $8. They work perfect for everything in a DVD case and smaller, though you have to stretch them out a bit with your hand first, or else you might tear the mailer. Also, some post offices have specific Priority Mail boxes made for videotapes that work excellent for larger DVD cases and Genesis-sized boxes.

And FYI, I believe active referral links in posts in general are kind of frowned upon. I remember being chastised for tacking my Play-Asia referral at the bottom of one of my posts, even clearly separated from other active links to products. The rule is pretty much "in the sig or nowhere in the post." (That said, eternal to Nailbunny for signing up under my name! Your extra points helped me nab Tomb Raider Anniversary 360, which I've been looking forward to for weeks.)